Lexington hot dog stand location closes. Owner cites landlord issues
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- One Lexington Sam’s Hot Dog Stand closed Feb. 13 after landlord dispute
- Owner cites poor maintenance of building and parking, and a dramatic rent increase
- Owner is seeking a new site; two other Lexington Sam’s locations remain open
One location of a popular hot dog franchise has closed after repeated issues with its landlord.
It’s the second Lexington restaurant to close over the weekend: Joella’s Hot Chicken in Hamburg also closed Sunday, Feb. 15.
Peggy Wadkins, owner of the Sam’s Hot Dog Stand at 192 Lexington Green Circle, confirmed her restaurant closed Friday, Feb. 13, after almost four years in business. It opened in June 2022.
Known for their famous chili sauce and reasonable prices, Sam’s has more than 45 locations in Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina and Georgia.
“The reason for the closure is a dispute with the owner of the building,” Wadkins said via email. “He would not properly maintain the building or the parking lot, causing loss of business, and he dramatically increased the rent.”
According to the Fayette County property records, the building has been owned since 2018 by Mariana Nikolova. Her husband, Michael Nicholas, is the landlord and property manager, according to Wadkins. The other side of the building is occupied by Bluegrass Hemp Oil, which remains open.
Nikolova did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday morning.
Wadkins said she is looking for a new location. She said she had loved that location, which had been a variety of businesses over the years including Fro-Jo’s Self Serve Frozen Yogurt & Coffee.
If you’re craving hot dogs, here are two other Sam’s Hot Dogs franchises in Lexington: one at 105 N. Limestone and one at 4300 Winchester Rd. that remain open under other franchise operators. And there are a host of other hot dog restaurants to try, including Boone Dogs, Double Dogs, South of Wrigley and more.
